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Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield (1962-) is an American former professional boxer reigned as an undisputed champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions during the years he competed from 1984 to 2011. His career had many lows as well from bankruptcy to doping scandals to messy divorces, and drama, Evander has been through it all. However, in recent years, boxing’s only 4-time heavyweight champ has launched a career as a boxing promoter under his promotion company the Real Deal Boxing, he believes he can amass even more wealth than he did in his heydays. Biography Early life Evander Holyfield was born on October 19, 1962, in Atmore, Alabama and raised in a low-income Atlanta suburb of Sugar Hill. Holyfield was born as the youngest of 9 children to a different father who was hardly ever in the picture. His mother Annie Holyfield was a cook in a restaurant. Holyfield said he inherited his athletic genes from his mom who was a runner and exceptional skater. Holyfield’s mom died in 1996 as a result of injuries inflicted from a car accident. Boxing career At a very tender age, Evander took interest in boxing and began boxing on the streets. However, he almost quit when a boy named Cecil Brown in his street beat him twice. However, Evander found the courage to fight him again and, the third time he won. Holyfield at 15 became the Southeastern Regional Champion and won the tournament as well as the Best Boxer Award. At the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela, Holyfield won the silver medal after losing to Cuba’s Pablo Romero. In 1984, Holyfield won the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles and by the end of the year, he went pro with his boxing starting in the light heavyweight division. He moved to cruiserweight in 1985 and then to heavyweight in 1988. Evander beat Buster Douglas in 1990 to claim the undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF heavyweight titles. Holyfield defended his title fighting against George Foreman and Larry Holmes. He suffered his first loss in 1992 after losing to Riddick Bowe. Holyfield vs Tyson Holyfield regained his title in another bout against Bowe in 1993. After losing the title to Michael Moorer in 1994, Evander regained it again in 1996 beating Mike Tyson. He became the first boxer since Muhammad Ali to snap the heavyweight award three times. Holyfield won his rematch against Tyson in 1997. The match labeled the bite fight saw Tyson bit off Evander’s ears in the third round. After losing to Lennox Lewis in 1999, Evander won the WBA heavyweight title in the new millennium defeating John Ruiz. Retirement Holyfield stopped fighting competitively in 2011 but officially retired in 2014. Out of a total of 57 fights, Evander won 44 (29 by KO), 10 losses, 2 draws and 1 No contest. Record and Statistics Statistics Name: Evander Holyfield Nationality: American Nicknames: The Real Deal Weight: Light Heavy/Cruiser/Heavyweight Height: 6'2 Stance: Orthodox Boxing Record Fights: 57 Wins: 44 Wins by KO: 29 Losses: 10 Draws: 2 No contests: 1 Category:American boxers Category:Heavyweight boxing champions Category:Olympic medalists in boxing Category:Olympic boxers of the United States Category:Boxers from Georgia Category:Boxers from Alabama Category:Light Heavyweight Boxing Champions Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:Light heavyweight boxers Category:World Light heavyweight boxing champions